Re: [Phys-l] scientific notation

[Steve Clark <sclarkphd@mindspring.com>]

I blame this error on the high school math departments. At my school  
the students are given a graphing calculator with no instruction on  
how to use it (except what is being taught in class). They then bring  
that calculator with them to physics class where we periodically need  
to input scientific notation. The students see the ^ key and use it to  
enter numbers with powers of 10. Usually it works, but every now and  
then a kid will screw it up and end up a factor of 10 too big (or too  
small). I point out the EE key which most of them have never noticed  
before.

Years ago when calculators were just beginning to enter the classroom,  
I would spend time actually teaching the calculator. But now I assume  
the math department is doing it since they're the ones giving them  
out. Unfortunately, it's not being done, so I guess t falls back on me.

Nice to know that college kids can't use their calculators either.

Steve Clark

On Feb 20, 2009, at 1:02 PM, Carl Mungan wrote:

> Many veterans have seen this kind of error I'm sure, but it's the
> kind of thing that is very hard to find when a student comes in to
> your office complaining his solution is off by a factor of 10....
>
> Proof that 10 raised to the power of -2 is 0.1. Try the following (go
> ahead, try it):
>
> Open Excel. Click on any empty cell. Format it as a number with 2
> decimal places. Type 10E-2. Hit return. QED
>
> (Commonly seen when students have to substitute the value of the
> permeability of free space into a calculation, depending on how their
> calculator inputs scientific notation.)
> --
> Carl E Mungan, Assoc Prof of Physics  410-293-6680 (O) -3729 (F)
> Naval Academy Stop 9c, 572C Holloway Rd, Annapolis MD 21402-5002
> mailto:mungan@usna.edu     http://usna.edu/Users/physics/mungan/
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